How to Get Trick or Treaters to Come to Your House

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: May 13, 2021 References

Giving out candy is one of the best parts of Halloween, but when you live on a quiet or secluded street, it can be tough to get trick or treaters to stop by your door. If you don’t want to be left with full bags of candy at the end of the night, deck out your house with lots of spooky props and be friendly and fun when you answer the door. With a few simple changes, you’ll make your house the most popular stop on the block!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Decorating Your House

1
Decorate early to show you’ll be giving out candy. Not only will you get to appreciate your outdoor decorations even longer, but you’ll also show the kids around your neighborhood that your house will be open for business on Halloween. Put up your decorations 1-2 weeks beforehand to get in the spirit and help others do the same, too!
- Wait to carve your pumpkins until just a few days before Halloween, though. Hollowing them out too early will make them rot faster.
2
Carve a few jack-o-lanterns and set them outside. You can’t decorate for Halloween without jack-o-lanterns! A day or two before Halloween, carve 1-3 pumpkins with silly or scary faces, or a spooky design. When the sun starts to go down on Halloween, set lights in them and put them on your front porch, in a place where they can be seen from the street, to attract trick or treaters.
- The safest way to light your pumpkin is with flickering pumpkin lights, which look like candles but run on battery. If you choose to use tea lights or small candles, put up a small sign warning trick or treaters that there’s fire inside.
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3
Set up a sign if trick or treaters often skip over your house. This is an especially good technique if kids tend to skip your street. Make a sign saying that you have candy and put it up in front of your house, or even down the street at the nearest major intersection.
- You could write something like, “Trick or Treaters: Come to 1234 Maple Street for candy!” Surround the sign with Halloween decorations and lights.
4
Put up fake tombstones in your front yard for a graveyard theme. A few fun Halloween props will let trick or treaters know that you’re at home and celebrating. Fake foam or cardboard tombstones are easy to make and will look fun and spooky in your front yard. To make your own, simply cut a gravestone shape out of foam or thick cardboard. Paint it gray, then write in a funny or creepy epitaph with thick black marker. Set up 2-3 in your front yard.^{[1]
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Epitaphs for Halloween Tombstones

Funny:

Here lies our little Sandy, up and died from too much candy

Don’t make me come up there!

I told you I was sick

Spooky:

On All Hallows Eve, I shall return

You’re next…

Roses are red, violets are blue
He came for me… and he’ll come for you
5
Hang ghosts from your trees and porch for a fun, spooky look. You can make your own floating ghosts by blowing up 3-4 white or clear balloons and gluing on long strips of white tissue paper or cheesecloth. For more light-hearted ghost decorations, draw on funny faces with dark marker. For something a little spookier, attach wires to the sides of the balloon, under the paper, to create creepy arms that reach out.^{[2]
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- Dip the paper or cheesecloth in liquid glue and stick onto the balloon so that it trails off the end, like a ghost’s cloak. Cover the balloon and let it dry before drawing on it or hanging it up.
6
Use candles or string lights if you want to light the way to your house. Entice trick or treaters to come to your house by stringing up orange or purple Halloween string lights around your house and walkway. You could also place tiki torches along your walkway, or hang candles or tea lights from the roof with shepherds’ hooks.^{[3]
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- You could even place lights around the sidewalk in front of your home, so trick or treaters can see them from farther away.
- Strobe lights are also a great option that can attract trick or treaters from down the street.
7
Play spooky Halloween music to attract trick or treaters from down the street. Set out a boombox or some Bluetooth speakers and queue up a Halloween playlist, or pop in your favorite spooky CD. Playing fun or creepy Halloween songs can really heighten the experience for your trick or treaters and encourage them to come up to your door. Make sure your neighbors don’t mind the music, though!^{[4]
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Halloween Songs

“The Monster Mash” - Bobby “Boris” Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers

“This is Halloween” - Danny Elfman

“Thriller” - Michael Jackson

“Ghostbusters” - Ray Parker

“Time Warp” - The Rocky Horror Picture Show
8
Create a mini haunted house to add an extra scary element. If you want to reel in brave trick or treaters, make your front walkway “haunted!” Drape dark cloths alone any openings, string up fake cobwebs, and place creepy monsters and skeletons in the shadows. You could even pipe in fake fog or hang up creepy, flickering lights.
- Put up a sign in front of your “haunted house” that says something like, “Candy awaits at the end… if you dare!”
- If there are lots of young kids in your neighborhood, don’t make the haunted house too scary. You could also offer trick or treaters candy first and invite them to go afterward, in case they don’t want to.
9
Leave your lights on and decorations up until you’re ready for bed. Leave on your porch light and your indoor lights and keep up your decorations until you’re done handing out candy for the night. The flow of trick or treaters will likely start to slow down around 8 or 8:30pm, depending on your neighborhood.
- If you’re ready to turn in before that, turning off your lights and picking up a few of your bigger decorations signals to trick or treaters that they should move on.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Welcoming Trick or Treaters

1
Dress in a costume to show your Halloween spirit. Just because you’re not out trick or treating yourself doesn’t mean you can’t dress up! Getting into costume makes it more fun for trick or treaters, and they’ll remember your house next year as fun stop on their route. Get in character, too! When you answer the door, cackle like a witch or bare your vampire fangs at them. You could even pop out and say “Boo!” to give them a little scare.
- Classic costumes are always best when you’re handing out candy. You don’t want to be something so obscure that the kids won’t recognize it! Try dressing up as a witch, a zombie, a mummy, a vampire, or a werewolf.
- You can go all-out with face paint and a full costume, or simply pop on a witch or wizard’s hat.
2
Answer the door after the first knock. Don’t keep trick or treaters waiting! Go to the door right away when you hear a knock or a doorbell. If you wait too long, they might give up and go on to the next house—and tell the next groups coming up that no one’s home.^{[5]
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3
Sit outside with your candy if you have a hard time attracting trick or treaters. Setting up on the porch, in your driveway, or in your open garage with your bowl of candy is a great way to get trick or treaters to stop by. You’re showing that you’re ready to give out candy and making it a little easier on them, too! Make sure it’s not too cold to sit outside, though! Bring some extra blankets or even a space heater to stay toasty.^{[6]
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- Set your decorations and jack-o-lanterns around you so trick or treaters go straight to you instead of knocking on the door.
4
Chat with trick or treaters and parents when they come up. Be friendly when your trick or treaters come up. Say “Happy Halloween!” and compliment them on their costumes, or on how much candy they’ve collected. Smile and wave when they turn to go on to the next house.^{[7]
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- Trick or treaters and their parents will remember your house as a fun, friendly place to stop by for some candy. They’ll be sure to come back next year!
5
Hand out popular candy bars to bring trick or treaters back every year. Giving out the most popular candy bars is a surefire way to become the best stop in your neighborhood. If you really want to stand out, you can go with king-sized bars. Kids always remember the house that gives out the biggest candies!^{[8]
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Most Popular Halloween Candies

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Snickers

Twix

Kit Kat

M&Ms

Sour Patch Kids

Skittles
6
Host a block party to get your neighbors involved. This is a great option if you live in a cul-de-sac that doesn’t get much traffic or many trick or treaters. Talk to your neighbors about setting up a few tables in the street and putting together a potluck, complete with spooky decorations and carnival games. The crowd and fun activities will bring in trick or treaters, and you’ll get to spend time with friends, too.^{[9]
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- Put a couple people on candy duty to hand out goodies to trick or treaters.

Community Q&A

Question

At my house, we have a hedge which blocks the view to my house. We rarely get trick or treaters. How can we improve this?

Infinityhappycat

Community Answer

Maybe you can put decorations (like fake spiderwebs or smiley pumpkins) on the hedge. You could also try putting up a sign with an arrow that points to the entrance of your house.
Question

What should I do if I have to go trick-or-treating with my kids? If a leave a bucket, what if it runs out?

Community Answer

That's okay! Put a sign up that says "Take only 1"; if you run out, there are plenty of other houses from which to get candy.
Question

I always had a couple hundred trick or treaters, but this year, I only had 23. Why?

Maggie_ryan3

Community Answer

Neighborhood kids are often in the same age range, meaning that they'll all get older and stop trick or treating at around the same time. This means that you might have a couple years without a lot of trick or treaters, until younger families move on. Be patient! It might be disappointing to not have as many trick or treaters, but they'll be back soon!